After Falling for the Handsome CEO - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Is It Just for the Money?

Having lived in the UK, Bai Yujin was no stranger to the idea of men being together. He had no prejudice against it and found it perfectly acceptable—after all, as long as it wasn’t happening to him, he didn’t give it much thought.

In his own mind, he was a staunch straight man.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t resist stealing another glance at Shen Jin through the rearview mirror. The more he looked, the more he felt the youth was truly handsome—there was a spiritual, vivid quality to him, especially when he smiled; he was quite cute.

The word “cute” made Bai Yujin’s face heat up. He began to wonder if he had accidentally consumed some counterfeit alcohol tonight—why was he thinking such nonsense?

To distract himself, he forced a calm tone and asked, “Do you live alone? Are there any other people in your family?”

As soon as the question left his mouth, he felt like he was conducting a census. He felt a bit awkward and peeked at Shen Jin through the mirror again, hoping the boy wouldn’t overthink it.

Shen Jin, however, was much more composed. He didn’t think twice about it, his clear eyes staring straight ahead. In a soft voice, he said, “I’m an orphan. I only have my sister, but she’s in poor health and is currently in the hospital. For now, I live alone.”

To him, this wasn’t a secret that needed hiding. Besides, the Bai family likely already knew his background; since Bai Yujin was curious enough to ask, there was no reason to lie.

His heart grew heavy, though, as he thought of his sister. He wondered when she would finally recover.

“Oh…” Bai Yujin responded softly, thinking to himself that this was quite the abandoned little “poor thing.”

At the end of the day, they had only met twice and weren’t close. Sitting in the same car, they didn’t have much to talk about. Silence dominated the space. Shen Jin wasn’t the type to initiate conversation; he was naturally quiet.

Bai Yujin, on the other hand, felt a bit stifled. He was someone who usually enjoyed joking around and teasing those around him; he was never a boring person to be with.

Yet now, sitting with Shen Jin, the atmosphere was dead silent.

How strange.

“Ahem.” Bai Yujin began to doubt his own charm and let out a dry cough to assert his presence.

The sports car wove through the heavy traffic. Outside, the world was a blur of neon lights and city noise. With the windows cracked, the sounds of rowdy music and passing cars drifted in.

Shen Jin was currently lost in a daze staring out the window, so he didn’t notice Bai Yujin’s various unnatural fidgets.

Bai Yujin: “…”

This is so frustrating.

The car suddenly pulled over in front of a shop. Shen Jin turned to look at him, puzzled.

“I’m going to grab a few things. I haven’t eaten much today; I’m hungry and thirsty.” Bai Yujin unbuckled his seatbelt and glanced at him. “Are you hungry? Want anything?”

Shen Jin blinked and shook his head quickly. “No, I’m fine. I’ve already eaten. Don’t worry about me.”

In truth, he just wanted to get home. Perhaps being poor had become a habit; sitting in this luxury car only made him feel uncomfortable, as if he were a foreign object that didn’t belong. He looked calm on the surface, but he was actually pins and needles.

Bai Yujin didn’t say anything else. He walked into the shop and ordered two drinks, along with some cakes and burgers.

While waiting at the checkout, he spotted a familiar face—the CEO of the Yan Group, Yan Yu.

They were both in the business world. Even if their relationship wasn’t particularly close, they were acquaintances on a professional level and had collaborated before. Thus, he called out with a smile from behind, “If it isn’t President Yan. Truly a rare sight.”

Yan Yu had no appetite today. He couldn’t stomach the food prepared by his private chef, so after finishing up some work and passing by this shop on his way home, he decided to buy something simple. He hadn’t expected to run into Bai Yujin, who had just recently returned to the country.

“The honor is mine. I didn’t expect to run into Young Master Bai here,” Yan Yu greeted with a smile. Although Bai Yujin was now a CEO inheriting the family business, many people still habitually called him “Young Master Bai.”

Yan Yu glanced at the food Bai Yujin had ordered and offered a polite smile. “What? Young Master Bai is here to buy snacks?”

“Is President Yan not doing the same?” Bai Yujin’s eyes swept over Yan Yu’s items.

“That’s true.” Yan Yu smiled. His mood was inexplicably heavy today, so he didn’t intend to linger. “I’ll take my leave then. Let’s grab a drink sometime when you’re free.”

Bai Yujin nodded with a smile and began to pay.

The moment Yan Yu turned to leave with his bags, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cold calm. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He hadn’t encountered anything particularly upsetting today, yet he felt incredibly stifled.

Images of Shen Jin’s youthful, beautiful face kept surfacing in his mind, along with that soul-stirring, moving appearance he had beneath him…

For some reason, it was as if he were possessed.

He walked out, weighed down by his thoughts. Just as he was about to head to his car, he turned his head and saw—Shen Jin, sitting inside a luxury sports car.

Yan Yu’s footsteps faltered. He froze for a moment, thinking he was hallucinating. How could he see the boy the very second he thought of him?

An almost imperceptible curve touched the corner of his mouth, a smile he didn’t even realize he was wearing. He instinctively moved his foot to walk toward him, but then he froze in his tracks.

Bai Yujin, having finished his shopping, returned to the car. He opened the door and handed a drink to Shen Jin with a smile. “This is for you. It’s really good, I promise.”

Shen Jin hadn’t expected him to buy it after he had already refused. He froze for a second, unsure whether to take it. Ultimately, as if guided by an unseen force, he reached out and accepted it. After all, it was already bought.

“There’s food here too. Help yourself if you’re hungry; I can’t finish it all anyway.” Bai Yujin smiled at the pile of snacks, then stepped on the gas and drove off into the night.

Yan Yu, who had been about to step forward, remained rooted to the spot. After a long silence, the corner of his lip curled into a self-mocking sneer as a “realization” dawned on him.

Bai Yujin was not known for being a womanizer; he was usually quite proper. So why was Shen Jin sitting in his car late at night? Could it be… they were lovers?

Or was it just like last night… a purely physical relationship for sex?

Is it all just for the money?

Yan Yu let out a cold laugh and shook his head. Watching the car disappear into the distance, he couldn’t help but sigh. “I didn’t expect to be so easily deceived by someone’s appearance.”

Should he say the boy was too good at acting, or that he himself was too self-important?

Yan Yu got into his own car and instinctively slammed his fist against the steering wheel. He sat there, gritting his teeth, unable to figure out exactly why he was so furious.

He narrowed his eyes, staring in the direction the two had gone. He didn’t know what he was thinking, but he suddenly started his engine and followed them…